Thursday, May 18, 2006

Tuna Rice Paper Rolls

This is an alternative to those sandwiches we usually associate with Garden Parties - instead of using bread, I used Rice Paper and made these little rolls. Naturally they can really contain anything you like but I thought I'd stick with clean, fresh flavours.

Rub the tuna piece with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with Sansho.

Heat a non-stick pan and when hot add the Tuna. I like to serve my tuna quite rare so I'll only cook this for 30 seconds to 1 minute a side. You can keep a track on how the Tuna is cooking by watching the sides and observing the colour change. Flip over and continue cooking, grind over with salt and pepper, cook for another 30seconds to 1 minute. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. When cold, slice across the grain into thin slices.

With the Spring Onions, I like to briefly cook them in the same pan as I've cooked the tuna. I just want them to soften slightly and lose any astringent flavour - this should take less than a minute.

To assemble:

The key to making these rolls is to have everything prepared and lined up in front of you.

Take a sheet of rice paper at a time, dip into a bowl of tepid water. When softened, remove and place onto a board, pat it dry with a clean tea towel. Start by placing avocado slices about two thirds down the sheet. Top with slices of spring onion and asparagus, then a generous amount of coriander leaves and rocket. Finish this with a slice of Tuna. Roll the rice paper just enough to tightly cover the filling, fold in the sides, then continue rolling until you reach the end of the rice paper.

Place on a dish and continue with the process until all ingredients are used.

To serve I like to slice them in half at an angle - this shows off the interior better. Serve them as is, with a simple dipping sauce.

Simple Dipping Sauce:Mix together 1 tablespoon of palm sugar with 2 tablespoons water, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Stir again then add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 small red chilli that has been de-seeded and very finely chopped. Stir once more and serve in a small bowl.

Hi CB - sansho is the pod of the prickly ash and it's sold in these narrow glass jars in Asian food stores - it's a japanese spice that has lemon pepper notes - it just adds a little heat and works well with the fattiness of food like tuna. The one I use has the green lid and it's by House Foods - the red lidded bottle contains japanese seven spice. Hope you find it!

Hi CB - smoked salmon would be fine as would grilled chicken, seared prawns, scallops - you can really use just about anything, since the rice paper is pretty neutral tasting. Just adapt the seasonings and whatever vegetables you use to match the type of meat you use. You don't even need meat, tofu and noodles are fairly traditional fillings too. These are great to just play around with.